The Free Soilers: A Comparative Analysis

In 1954, the Kansas- Nebraska Act was passed. Northern Democrat Steven Douglass in an attempt to build a transcontinental railroad petitioned the Kansas-Nebraska act on the bases that the Compromise of 1850 validated popular sovereignty. In Douglass’s opinion the Compromise of 1850 made the Missouri Compromise of 1820 void. There was opposition from Northern politicians who believed that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a sacred pact made by previous lawmakers during the union’s long history of compromises. For Southern politicians the Kansas- Nebraska Act would help the extension of slavery which most of the Northerners were against. Ignoring the wishes of the Northerners and pushing the Democratic agenda which wanted not only the

While many have described the civil war as simply the war between the States, Bruce Levine in his book “Half Slave and Half Free: The Roots of Civil War” has put together an 80 year survey from around 1773 the pre-revolutionary era to the Civil War with well documented evidence of the social, cultural and political idealisms of our once divided nation. This book review will emphasize points on each of the book’s chapters which are put chronologically and particularly comparing the southern slave labor system to the free labor system in the north. Levine’s thesis statement on page four of his book reads as follows, “What impelled so many-rich, middling, and poor; white and black; native-born and immigrant- to risk and sacrifice so much? To answer such questions, this book reexamines the antebellum political history in the light of the broader economic, social, cultural, and ideological developments that shaped the lives of the American people”. (p. 4) Clearly the author of the book has researched numerous historical papers and has placed them in the direction his thesis will be provided with hard evidence from the founding fathers’ letters, written memos and of course the laws put into the United States constitution.

The Missouri Compromise was a temporary solution to the issue of slavery and territorial rights such as the movement West. Two areas of land wanted to become states in 1820, known as Maine and Missouri. Maine wanted to enter as a free state with no slavery as everyone in that area was against it and wanted it abolished. Missouri wanted to enter as a slave state and was all for slavery and wanted it to be spread all throughout the country. The compromise everyone came into conclusion with, was that there would be no slavery allowed north of 36° 30’ latitude. This angered the Southerners because their intention was to promote slavery not have it abolished. They realized that this compromise threatened the balance between free and slave states; Maine and Missouri. In order to expand slavery, the South felt that the United States would need territory from Mexico. The only area of land left was in Arkansas and that line became known as the Missouri Compromise line. The impact that the Missouri Compromise had on the United States was tremendous and had many effects on issues such as national politics, the institution of slavery, and the overall togetherness of the nation as a whole.

In the early 1800s, it appeared that these political battles could be decided with congressional compromises. Document A, also known as the Missouri Compromise, was created in 1820 to address the new state of Missouri. Whether or not Missouri was a slave state or free would be a watershed event, as from the onset it appeared one side would have more power in Congress. However, Henry Clay, one of the most famous congressmen of the time, was able to split up Massachusetts in order to create a new free state, Maine. With Maine being free, Missouri could join as a slave state, and both sides were appeased. However, no side was ever truly appeased, with Kansas-Nebraska act eventually repealing the Missouri compromise in 1854, only 34 years later. It is true that many more states were added into the union in those 34 years, such as Texas, California, and New Mexico. However, the Missouri compromise itself was not thought out for the long term, as it designated a single latitude line to divide the slave and free

territory. As northern settlers poured into Kansas, however, in 1861 it qualified for admission to the union as a state where slavery was illegal. So many Northerners were distraught over the Kansas-Nebraska Act that they founded a new, purely northern, purely anti-slavery political party. the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opened new lands, repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and allowed settlers in those territories to determine if they would allow slavery within their boundaries. The initial purpose of the Kansas-Nebraska Act was to create opportunities for a Transcontinental Railroad. It was not problematic until popular jurisdiction was written into the proposal. The act was designed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. The act established that settlers could vote to decide whether to allow slavery, in the name of "popular sovereignty" or rule of the people. Douglas hoped it would ease relations in both North and South, because the South could expand slavery to new territories but the North still had the right to abolish slavery in their states. He was wrong; opponents denounced the law as a privilege to the slave power of the South. The new Republican Party, which was created in opposition to the act, aimed to stop the expansion of slavery, and soon emerged as the dominant force throughout the

The Kansas-Nebraska act (1854) was a U.S. law that authorized the creation of Kansas and Nebraska, west of the states of Missouri and Iowa and divided by the 40th parallel. It repealed a provision of the Missouri compromise of 1820 that prohibited slavery in the territories north of 36 degrees and 30' and stipulated that the inhabitant of the territories should decide for themselves the legality of slave holding. Democratic senator of Illinois Stephen A. Douglas pushed the Kansas-Nebraska bill.

In 1820, a politician by the name of Henry Clay decided to help work out a compromise that would keep the balance the North and South. Clay suggested that Congress should admit Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. The official proposal was passed in March of 1820 and prohibited slavery from any territories in the Louisiana Purchase that was North of 36°30’ latitude. (The American Journey Page 320,437, and 438) Almost thirty years later, a dispute over slavery broke out in Congress because a bill was introduced by Illinois senator Stephen Douglas. Douglas originally wanted to run for president but in order to do that he needed the support of the Southern Democrats. With Douglas trying to win over both northerners and southerners, the Kansas-Nebraska act proclaimed that Kansas and Nebraska territories would have the choice to be a free or slave state. Douglas was basically saying that “they” being Congress would repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and would rely on “popular sovereignty” which is letting the people decide. He figured that because Kansas and Nebraska becoming slave

The Missouri Compromise was an act passed by Congress to ease, if not eliminate the tensions between North and South in terms of expanding slavery in the western territories. A line was drawn to indicate areas of freedom and/or slavery. This compromise created an equal balance of southern and free states in America. Peace was maintained for thirty-four years, until the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. This act completely disregarded the Missouri Compromise as it allowed slavery based on popular sovereignty above the Missouri line.

An effort by the congress to equal the power between both free and slave states, The Missouri Compromise was signed by President James Monroe, and was passed in 1820. Thi made Missouri a slave state and maine a free state, but because of this law, it prohibited slavery in Louisiana Territory. Henry Clay, who was a state senator, then skillfully led the forces of compromise, engineering separate votes on the controversial measures. The south criticized the compromise because it allowed congress to make laws following slavery. The north also criticized them for agreeing without protest. The bill was declared unconstitutional and caused tension over slavery that led to the civil war.

In 1854, the argument over slavery appeared in Congress again when Stephen A. Douglas introduced the Compromise of 1850. Kansas and Nebraska would become free states because of where they are located, north of 36’30’N latitude. If they both became free states, the balance would be broken. Douglas knew southerners would object to this so he let the people in each territory vote on it to be a free or slave state so he introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This is called popular sovereignty when the people get to decide on an issue.

During the late 1800’s there were turbulent times between the Northern and Southern States in America, one the vastest areas that was constantly being quarreled against one another is the usage of slavery. As slavery was the principal component within the Southern States, it provided the basis for many of the cash crops that were spread throughout. Whereas, many within the Northern States were firmly against the usage of slave and wanted to end this practice once and for all. This continuous incompatibility between slave states in the South and the free states in the North eventually ended up colliding into a Civil War. There were many aspects that led to this collision, such as; when America expanded into the western terrain after the Mexican-American

By 1854 the Missouri Organization was overdue along with other states. As the falling out of slaves was becoming very common in certain territories which further complicated this issue, along with the location of the projected Transcontinental Railroad. This Missouri Compromise was the third debate on slavery in that certain area since 1789. The Kansas Nebraska, in 1854, was very contradicted to the 1820 resolution to slavery, although the new compromise became known as one of the major elements that led to the Civil war. This Compromise was created by Stephen A. Douglas who was a chairman of the Senate committee on territories. After three months of debate in congress, Douglas, who was supported by President Pierce and the southerners, saw it adopted. This bill that was reported in Jan, 1852 stated that slavery should be left to the territorial settlers themselves, in its final bill provided the creation of two new territories Kansas and Nebraska- instead of the one. The First state would be for slavery, second would be a free state. The result was it created more of a sectional division, it also created a new Political Organization, this is what propelled to the civil war.

This was a compromise but in fact it repealed what the Missouri Compromise stood for. It was proposed by Senator Stephen Douglas that although both territories of Kansas and Nebraska were north of the “Missouri Line” that the issue of slavery should be decided by “Popular Sovereignty.” As soon as it passed it would cause an event later to be known as Bleeding Kansas where Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery activists to fight from 1854-1856. Thusly the disagreement was there and corresponding to that fighting Pro-Slavery activist would later outnumber Anti-Slavery activists causing Kansas to officially become a slave state. Nevertheless, Northern citizens, Congressmen, and anyone against slavery was furious, although it was a

The Missouri Compromise, formulated by Henry Clay, was meant to regulate slavery in the country’s western territories. It also admitted Missouri as a slave state, and at the same time declared that states could not enter the union as a slave state if they were above 36’ 30”. In addition, it added Maine into the United States and balanced the ratio of slave and free states. This compromise was agreed upon both pro and anti-slavery factions, and passed in 1820. However, the Missouri Compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska

Southern states objected to the expansion because it entailed creating two new free states under the conditions of the Missouri Compromise. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was designed to appease the southern senators by repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which banned slavery above the southern border of Missouri, also known as the 36-30’ line. The Act invoked the principle of popular sovereignty, allowing the people to determine the region’s stance on slavery. Although there was vast opposition, Congress and the President signed the Act into law in 1854. Northerners and anti-slavery supporters, including future President Abraham Lincoln, became incensed and the relationship between the North and South worsened. The conflict that arose was a prelude to the violence of Bleeding Kansas and later, the American